Fuel induction manifold



A ril 21, 1964 R. F. BALCAEN m FUEL INDUCTION MANIFOLD Filed June 29, 1962 FIG. 3.

Z llllI/IllIlIlllII/ INVENTOR. Raau/ 6" Ba/caen United States Patent 3,129,701 FUEL INDUCTEQN MANIFOLD Raoul F. Balcaen HE, 1506 S. Bently, Los Angeles, Calif. Filed June 29, 1962, Ser. No. 206,400 2 Claims. (Cl. 123-56) This invention relates to the carburetion of fuel and to the induction of the same in internal combustion engines and particularly with dual bank engines supplied by multi-barrel carburetors.

Internal combustion engines of the type under consideration are characterized by a multiplicity of cylinders arranged in rows or banks. These banks may be of radially arranged cylinders, or a straight row of aligned cylinders. The straight aligned arrangement is most common and engines formed in this fashion are known as in-line engines, there being V type engines having two such banks of cylinders, and flat type engines also having two such banks of cylinders. In any case, a problem arises in the distribution of carbureted fuel-air mixture to the multiplicity of cylinders, particularly in dual bank engines.

Various approaches have been made in order to solve the induction problem. A single central carburetor (single barrel) has been tried, but a single carburetor cannot always supply adequate mixture. Dual, or separate, carburetors have been tried, but they are diflicult to maintain in proper unison operation. Also, and in order to gain maximum carburetion, large central multibarrel carburetors have been tried, but with very inefiicient results. In theory, it appears that the crosssectional area of each carburetor barrel is limited in practice, and therefore multi-barrels are employed when additional carburetion is desired. However, there is also a limit to the least number of cylinders (or cubic inches) that can be properly supplied'by a given number of carburetor barrels. For example, in a six cylinder engine there is, in theory, a continuous suction by one cylinder at a time with a slight overlap, and in this case a four barrel carburetor, although readily available, is an absurdity. The use of four barrels of carburetion, open to any one of the six cylinders, results in gross over-carburetion, and is entirely unsatisfactory. However, the use of two barrels of carburetion is feasible especially .if said two barrels are sequentially opened. Therefore, this inven tion has for its general object to provide sequentially opened two barrel carburetion for each bank of a dual bank engine, using .a single four barrel carburetor for this purpose. v

A factor to be considered before describing the invention is the structural arrangement of the usual two and four barrel carburetors. In a usual two barrel carburetor one barrel opens, by means of a valve, followed by opening of the other barrel. In ausual four barrel carburetor a pair of barrels open simultaneously, followed by simultaneous opening of the other pair of barrels. These four barrels are arranged in a square pattern of four, there being a primary and a secondary barrel at each side of the carburetor.

It is an object of this invention to realize efiicient carburetion from a single multi-barrel carburetor when supplying dual banks of cylinders, and wherein each bank comprises limited cylinder capacity (cubic inches).

It is another object of this invention to provide a manifold for the induction of fuel-air mixture from a single multi-barrel carburetor to dual banks of cylinders. Specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a manifold for separating the induction of fuel-air mixture from a single four barrel carburetor whereby two barrels supply each of the dual banks of cylinders.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a manifold fabricated of the fewest number of parts and which can be installed without error or mistake.

The various objects and features of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of the typical preferred form and application thereof, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the manifolding of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view taken as indicated by line 2-2 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken as indicated by line 3-3 on FIG. 1.

As indicated throughout the drawings, the internal combustion engine E to be supplied with fuel-air mixture is a dual bank engine of the fiat or pancake type, for example a six cylinder engine. The engine E is to be supplied with carburetion from a single central carburetor C of the four barrel type, having two pairs of primary and secondary barrels. It will be understood that many carburetor variations may be employed, for example a carburetor wherein the primary throttle valve is controlled by linkage and the secondary throttle Valve is controlled by vacuum, or wherein the primary and secondary throttle valves are sequentially controlled by linkage. The latter is preferred and FIG. 3 illustrates one side of such a carburetor C, showing one of the two pairs of barrels, one barrel 10 being controlled by a pri. rnary valve 11 and the other barrel 12 being controlled by a secondary valve'13. The barrels 10 and 12 are in adjacent fore and aft relationship, as clearly shown, the two pairs being side by side. As a result of this usual carburetor configuration, there is a square pattern of four barrels opening from the carburetor body 14, from a flat downwardly disposed face 15.

Only those features of the carburetor C relating directly to the manifold M are referred to, said carburetor C being provided with all of those features which are commonly required for successful operation of such a carburetor.

The manifold M is a fabrication of three basic parts, a divider D and a pair of arms A. In accordance with the invention the arms A are identical'parts that join with and support the divider D, so that there are but two parts to prepare and/ or pre-fabricate. Although different methods can be utilized in pre-fabricating'the two parts A and D, it is preferred to cast the divider D and to weld up the arms A. Lightness and durability are achieved by casting the divider D ofaluminum and by welding the arms up of suitable bent or turned tubing. The divider'D is provided to support the carburetor C and to receive'a fuel-air mixture therefrom anddistribute the same to the engine E through the two arms A. Each arm A is extended to a bank of cylinders, usually to a head 16 of the engine, and in the case illustrated there are two widely spaced heads 16. A feature of many engines, as is the case under consideration, is that the heads 16 are identical and interchangeable, being offset from each other axially or longitudinally of the engine. That is, the cylinders of the two banks are not opposite, and as indicated in FIG. 2 the right hand bank is offset forwardly while the left hand bank is offset rearwardly. That is, the intake porting is offset.

The divider D comprises a cast body 20 that is horizontally disposed with a flat upwardly disposed face 21 to engage with the face 15 of the carburetor C, there being a gasket between said two faces. The said divider D, as its name implies, separates the flow of carbureted mixture to the two arms A respectively. Therefore, the body 20 is bilaterally chambered, having right and left mixture separating chambers 22 and 23 that deflect the downward flows to direct them laterally and oppositely. As shown, there is a partitioning or Wall 24 that divides the body 20 into the two chambers 22 and 23, each chamber comprising an L-shaped opening in the body 20. In this preferred form of the invention the chambers 22 and 23 open at opposite side faces 26 and 27 that are parallel and normal to the face 21, and in each case the opening or chamber is of round configuration at the said faces 26 and 27. However, the said openings or chambers are longitudinally elongated at the face 21, so that each chamber registers both with a primary and secondary carburetor barrel, as above set forth.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the single four barrel carburetor will operate as a unit with uniform operation of each pair of primary and secondary barrels thereof. In no case, however, can either chamber 22 or 23 draw from any more than two barrels. Thus, the inefliciency of four barrels feeding the entire manifold is avoided, and the much more eflicient system of sequentially opening of primary and secondary barrels to each individual bank of cylinders can be utilized.

The arms A are identical and each comprises a tubing 30 extending between flanges 31 and 32. The flange 31 is adapted to be fastened in flat engagement with the face 26 or face 27 while the flange 32 is adapted to be fastened in flat engagement with one of the engine heads 16. The engageable faces of the engine heads are coplanar, with intake ports offset, as indicated above. In order for the flanges 32 of the two arms A to register with the offset openings in the heads the tubing 30 is angularly disposed to said flange 31, in a horizontal plane (see FIG. 2). Further, the tubing 30 is bent or turned downwardly to the flange 32 to be substantially normal to the plane of the flange. Since the divider D is located centrally of the said offset of the engine heads 16, the uniform angular disposition of the tubings 30 in the flanges 31 makes for identical formation of the two arms A. Suitable studs with nuts threaded thereon are used to fasten the parts together as shown.

The body 20 also includes a carburetor heating means whereby heated fluid is passed through the body 20 in the area of the carburetor barrels. As shown, there is a chamber 35 extending transversely of the body 20 and adjacent to the chambers 22 and 23 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). A supply of heated fluid passed through the chamber 35 will prevent icing.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the manufacture of two easily made manifold parts results in the installation of an eflicient induction system for dual bank engines utilizing a single unit multi-barrel carburetor. With the carburetion and induction system herein disclosed it is possible to obtain sequential multi-barrel carburetion in an engine of the type under consideration without resort to inefiicient over-carburetion that would result if the same carburetor, a four barrelled carburetor, were used without employing the divider according to the disclosure herein.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any modifications or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A fuel induction manifold assembled of distinguishably manufactured parts and for distributing fuel-air mixture to separate cylinder banks of an internal combustion engine, said cylinder banks being identically offset in opposite directions longitudinally of the engine, and including:

(a) one of said parts being a divider part for reception of fuel-air mixture from a carburetor and centrally located between said cylinder banks of the engine,

(b) said divider part being chambered to receive fuelair mixture on a central vertical axis and to divert the mixture bilaterally from opposite vertically disposed side faces,

(c) and the other of said parts being a pair of identical tubular arm parts separable from said divider part and angularly engaged with and secured to the divider part to extend laterally from the opposite vertically disposed side faces of the divider part and then downward to said separate banks of the engine.

2. A fuel induction manifold assembled of distinguishably manufactured parts and for distributing fuel-air mixture to separate cylinder banks of an internal combustion engine, said cylinder banks being identically oflset in opposite directions longitudinally of the engine, and including:

(a) one of said parts being a divider part for reception of fuel-air mixture from opposite side barrels of a carburetor and comprising a body centrally located between said cylinder banks of the engine and having supporting engagement with the carburetor,

(b) the body of said divider part being bilaterally chambered to receive fuel-air mixture on laterally spaced vertical axes from the opposite side barrels of said carburetor and to divert the separate flow therefrom to opposite vertically disposed side faces of said body,

(0) and the other of said parts being a pair of identical tubular arm parts separable from the body of said divider part and angularly engaged with and secured to the divider part to extend laterally from the opposite vertically disposed side faces of the divider part and then downward to said separate banks of the engine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,396,904 White Nov. 15, 1921 1,936,694 Summers et al. Nov. 28, 1933 1,979,075 Meyer Oct. 30, 1934 2,311,146 Wiegman Feb. 16, 1943 2,766,743 Platner et al. Oct. 16, 1956 2,771,863 Porsche et al. Nov. 27, 1956 2,808,041 Dolza Oct. 1, 1957 

1. A FUEL INDUCTION MANIFOLD ASSEMBLED OF DISTINGUISHABLY MANUFACTURED PARTS AND FOR DISTRIBUTING FUEL-AIR MIXTURE TO SEPARATE CYLINDER BANKS OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, SAID CYLINDER BANKS BEING IDENTICALLY OFFSET IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS LONGITUDINALLY OF THE ENGINE, AND INCLUDING: (A) ONE OF SAID PARTS BEING A DIVIDER PART FOR RECEPTION OF FUEL-AIR MIXTURE FROM A CARBURETOR AND CENTRALLY LOCATED BETWEEN SAID CYLINDER BANKS OF THE ENGINE, 